


Bird's night thoughts

by Sophie_Vers



Series: Rat'sventures [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Detective Tim Drake, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Feels, Jason Todd is Robin, Jason Todd-centric, Kid Jason Todd, Kid Tim Drake, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25402114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophie_Vers/pseuds/Sophie_Vers
Summary: So maybe, just maybe, given the time, Tim wouldn't mind being a friend to Jason as well. If he doesn't mind prostitutes and homeless, he won't call Jason 'disgusting', won't find him lacking like other kids he has to associate with now that he lives with Bruce.A part of my Rat'sventures series, but I'm also posting the bit about Jason's relationship with Bruce and Alfred separatelyherefor those who aren't interested in the series.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: Rat'sventures [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615819
Comments: 33
Kudos: 208





	Bird's night thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> a-bitchtm on Tumblr asked: I definetly wanna hear Jason's thoughts and opinions on everyone. ESPECIALLY Tim!
> 
> So there you have it!

As Jason lay in bed that morning he couldn't silence his thoughts enough to fall asleep. 

They'd finally caught him. The boy that could lead them to Rat, the mysterious self proclaimed detective or whatever Bruce called him. He's been delivering solved cases to the police for months now, managing to stay hidden even from the vigilantes. The guy had impressed the old bat and Jason, of all people, would know how much of an achievement that was.

Now Jason was left alone with his thoughts because Bruce made him go to bed while he took Tim, Rat's errand boy, home. By himself. Selfish bastard.

So yeah, they had a connection to Rat now, great and all but Jason couldn't help but find the kid more interesting than some random guy with a stupid nickname. Rats are a nuisance that bite you, tear apart the few pieces of fabric you sleep on and steal the food you've worked so hard to get. 

Before, Jason has spent _months_ searching for a way to store whatever he'd managed to steal without rats getting to it. They eat through cardboard, plastic and wood. They even walk on walls like spiders as far as Jason's concerned. He can still remember the folks that died from diseases rats carry. Who the hell in their right mind would want to be called that? 

Not that bats were any better, but Jason wasn't about to discuss it with Bruce. Contrary to the popular belief the man was actually easily offended, he just showed it differently. He would spend the next few days brooding and pretending he's not.

Thinking about a distraught Bruce made him think about Tim. Again. Because Tim didn't react to the man's glare and somehow Jason's brain made that ridiculous connection so he could come back to thinking about the younger boy. _Again_.

One look at Tim and you'd expect him to be timid. Just- come on the kid was _tiny_ but you'd never guess his size by the way he talks or holds himself. He's confident and dedicated and probably smart if Rat took him as his apprentice or whatever.

No, not probably, Jason could tell the kid was smart, he's already noticed that the first time they met at the charity ball. It's just that there were so many other qualities to consider when thinking about Tim that the smartness of the younger boy wasn't the first thing coming to his mind.

Actually the more accurate description would be that Tim is a weird combination between self confidence and insecurity, or maybe more like awkwardness? Similar to the way Bruce is sometimes. Which shouldn't make sense but somehow Tim makes it work.

There's also the practised socialite smile, and the fact that he's practically raising himself at this point. He's so collected, almost adult like, and uses a bunch of big words but not in the arrogant way the entitled kids normally do. 

And the next moment he banters with Jason like his friends on the streets used to. It's weird. He's different than anyone Jason has ever met.

Oh and the whole 'visiting the most dangerous recesses of Gotham by himself at night'. How the hell did the kid manage to not get himself killed yet is a fucking mystery if Jason ever saw one. And he _did._ Many times. 

So this would mean that besides being smart Tim is also _fucking stupid_ . What sane human being that can't even reach a kitchen cabinet without a stool, has some free time to spare and thinks 'oh hey let me find a way to spend it that will endanger my life _and_ send Batman and Robin for a wild run after me'.

No one sane would do that, that's the answer.

Poor Rat. He was probably attacked by Hurricane Timothy and before he knew it, boom, he had a little kid attached to him like a keychain.

They haven't actually asked how the pair met, but Jason's pretty sure his prediction will turn out more accurate than not.

The list goes on forever. Tim is good at planning - the Alvin Draper thing still hurts Jason's pride when he thinks about it. The kid wants to help people more than anything, isn't scared of the homeless people. He's even befriending prostitutes!

Also, the kid is actually a kid despite everything. Can't pronounce the word 'contingencies', panics and makes mistakes under pressure. He's easy to rile up, which already brought Jason immense pleasure and happiness and will definitely continue to do so.

Tim is, more than anything, a little shit and visibly enjoys irritating Jason, so Jason will not have to refrain himself. Perfect. 

They were going to be seeing a lot more of each other from now on, since it turned out that Tim knows their secret identities Bruce has to keep an eye on him. They are going to train him and possibly let him spend some time in the Mansion as well when his parents are away.

And from what Tim had told them so far that's more often than not. Honestly Jason really shouldn't be as happy about it as he is. Of course it would be better if Tim's parents cared about him more, but then he wouldn't have so much time to spend with Jason.

Besides when Tim meets Alfred he won't be missing his parents as much anymore. That's just how it is, because Alfred takes care of you more than you've ever been cared for in your life.

Although it wasn't the same for Dick. From what little conversation Jason had with the older boy that didn't consist of Jason and Bruce getting shouted at it seemed like he'd still prefer his parents to Alfred. But that's probably because Dick's parents hadn’t been scums. Jason's mom wasn't bad either so he misses her, but other than that he'd choose Alfred's care any day.

And, he had to admit, he also wouldn't mind being someone who could care for Tim. The kid awakened the maternal instincts Jason didn't know he had. That’s what the weird flutter in his heart and the warmth in his body must mean.

It's insane how much Jason got attached to the younger boy despite meeting him only two times and for such short periods of time as well. He couldn't even talk to Tim freely since Bruce insisted on interrogating him.

As soon as they had the chance Jason would make sure they'd talk about nicer things, get to know each other better through an actual conversation and not just questioning.

...So maybe, just maybe, given the time, Tim wouldn't mind being a friend to Jason as well. If he doesn't mind prostitutes and homeless, he won't call Jason 'disgusting', won't find him lacking like other kids he has to associate with now that he lives with Bruce.

Living with Bruce is- different. Different from what Jason has always known and probably different from what living with any other socialite would be like.

Even forgetting the whole Batman and Robin thing, living with Bruce Wayne would always be different, because Bruce Wayne himself is different. Much like Tim is different but then again different than that.

It took Jason some time to learn how to adjust to the man. And even longer to start to understand him, but in the end Bruce turned out to be the person he looks up to the most now.

His care is, again, different from Alfred's. Where Alfred hugs him warmly while whispering assurances, Bruce will pet his arm awkwardly and tell him 'good job' but Jason knows it took all his might to do so, that the man had spent three days beforehand contemplating if that's the right move, maybe even searching articles about it, then plucking up his courage, all for that three second act.

At first even that was too much for Jason. So, in some way, they were a perfect match.

Jason, who didn't know how to receive kindness and Bruce, who didn't know how to properly give it. But one of the main things Jason learned from the years spent on the streets was to observe. So he observed the man and soon realized that he was being observed as well. 

They were the same. Learning how to act with each other. And they both had things they couldn't do. It made him relieved to know that the grown up he ended up with was just as helpless as he was in this situation. It was weirdly reassuring. That's why Jason never doubted if Bruce really cares about him, despite the lack of words. And if he could, Jason would make Dick understand too. 

Alfred told him Dick always needed words more than gestures because he was raised by people who actually talked about their feelings. But Jason wasn't. For Jason having his friend distract a guy while he stole his wallet was care. Getting half of the bread on a day when he had none was care. Being waited for when he stumbled even though they were running away from the police and every second mattered was care.

Bruce checking up on Jason while he's in bed and supposed to be sleeping is care. Bruce coming back from a business trip with a new book for Jason is care. Bruce checking his homework when he has tons of paperwork to do is care. Bruce leaving his portion of Alfred's cookies to Jason under the pretense of having enough is care. Jason knows for a fact it's a lie, you can never have enough of Alfred's cookies. 

Letting Jason fight as Robin to get rid of the anger that follows him whenever he goes is care.

Jason likes to think, selfishly so, that he understands Bruce better than Dick. Not better than Alfred of course, that would be blasphemy, but enough to see Dick expected things Bruce could never be able to give. 

Jason will never ask for words Bruce can't tell. He will accept anything given to him. Because, unlike Dick, who started with everything a kid could possibly want from their parents, later in life he couldn't stand for anything less than that. Jason started with nothing, so little is enough for him.

**Author's Note:**

> This time beta'd by [Bumpkin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumpkin/pseuds/Bumpkin) and [Veriatas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veriatas/pseuds/Veriatas)! 😊
> 
> Comment guys, pretty please! 🥺


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